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Ted Gladson

A retired Chicago-based business leader, Ted Gladson founded Gladson Interactive, a store design and merchandising company he led for over three decades. Alongside his professional pursuits, Ted Gladson has always found time to support national and Chicago-area organizations, including 360 Youth Services.

In its efforts to give young people the skills needed to attain success, 360 Youth Services offers various programs and services focused on counseling, housing, and substance abuse prevention. Those who would like to support the organization in this work can get involved in a number of ways.

Along with accepting one-time and recurring monetary donations, 360 Youth Services gladly welcomes donations of household items. Currently, the organization is in need of items for every room in the house. Listed among the group’s wish list are dishes and other kitchen supplies, furniture, bedding, and personal care items such as shaving kits and hair dryers.

In addition to donating money and goods, 360 Youth Services supporters can volunteer their time as a mentor, tutor, or member of the group’s board of directors. Volunteers can also participate in or support the organization’s various fundraisers, including its Annual Gala, which takes place in November. More information about how you can support 360 Youth Services can be found by visiting www.360youthservices.org.

Chicago-based entrepreneur Ted Gladson founded Gladson Interactive, where he also served as president before selling the company in 2005. While there, he led the organization in developing custom merchandising and store layout solutions for its clients. In addition to his professional work in the Chicago area, Ted Gladson is a longtime supporter of the Wounded Warrior Project.

In an effort to help veterans more easily adjust to life outside of the military once their service is over, Wounded Warrior Project spearheads a number of initiatives that are designed to educate and empower veterans to make smart choices. One of the programs the organization offers is based on developing smart eating habits, as the less-demanding routine of civilian life can often lead to weight gain.

One of the key strategies that Wounded Warrior espouses on this front is finding out what healthy items exist on a menu before heading to a restaurant. That way, the veteran can craft a meal that is calorically suitable and tailored to his or her dietary needs. It is important to reinforce this practice by being the first to order food at the table in order to avoid temptation by the choices of others. For more information about Wounded Warrior’s nutrition programs, visit http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/BigGameSnacks.

Chicago-based Ted Gladson is the founder and former president of Gladson Interactive. When not involved in his business and charitable activities in the city of Chicago, Ted Gladson enjoys active outdoor pursuits such as skiing and scuba diving. For those who are new to scuba diving, certain tips should be kept in mind in order to have the safest and most enjoyable scuba experience. Here are three things to remember when exploring the ocean.

1. Prepare your body and mind before starting out. Practicing yoga for a few months before diving can help regulate breathing, which is one of the most important skills needed for a safe and comfortable diving experience.

2. Go slowly. With all the excitement, it can be easy to want to speed through the water. To get the most out of dives, however, relaxing and moving slowly is crucial to not scaring away the wildlife around you, as well as maximizing your air supply.

3. Weight yourself properly. Depending on the type of water, wetsuit thickness and type of tank being used, it’s important to keep a record of the amount of weight needed for each situation. Buoyancy affects everything while diving, from how much air is being used to how easy it is to relax.

An entrepreneur in the Chicago area, Ted Gladson previously served as president of Gladson Interactive for more than three decades. In his free time, Ted Gladson contributes to several charitable organizations in the greater Chicago area, including 360 Youth Services.

360 Youth Services provides counseling, mentoring, housing, and substance abuse prevention programming for youth and young adults in DuPage County, Illinois. In fiscal 2016, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy awarded 360 Youth Services a Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program Grant of $125,000 to continue its work through the Community Alliance for Prevention. Founded by 360 Youth Services in 2013, the Community Alliance for Prevention strives to prevent substance use among local youth.

The award is part of a five-year commitment through which the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy will provide a total of $625,000 to help the Alliance improve the infrastructure among community partners and implement a sustainable plan to reduce youth substance abuse. Backed by the foundational work of each of its partners, the Alliance conducted a needs assessment and worked on strategic planning and capacity building as part of the competitive process for securing the DFC funding.

Based in Chicago, Illinois, Ted Gladson is the founder and former president of Gladson Interactive, and was inducted into the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame for his work with the store design and merchandising company. Outside of his professional life, Chicago’s Ted Gladson is a proud supporter of the Wounded Warrior Project, which strives to help wounded service members readjust to life at home.

One of the Wounded Warrior Project’s many programs is its Soldier Ride, a four-day cycling excursion open to all veterans who qualify for WWP assistance. The Soldier Ride welcomes riders of all skill and ability levels, offering adaptive cycles for riders with a disability or limiting injury.

The four-day event starts with a lunch and bike fitting before warriors spend the evening getting to know their fellow service members who will accompany them on the ride. The second day features a 10 to 15-mile ride designed to give each warrior the chance to evaluate their bike for day three’s longer ride.

On day three, warriors are invited to challenge themselves with the program’s main ride, which consists of 15 to 20 miles of riding or more. Finally, day four ends with a breakfast event and farewell gathering. To learn more about the Wounded Warrior Project and its Soldier Ride program, visit the organization online at woundedwarriorproject.org.